


3.27AM

by Terinka



Category: Free!
Genre: Feelings, Fluff, M/M, deep thoughts at night, like lotsa feelings, rinharu - Freeform, soft boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-07-11 14:28:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15974228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Terinka/pseuds/Terinka
Summary: Waking up at night, Haru finds their bed empty. Where has Rin disappeared to?





	3.27AM

**Author's Note:**

  * For [whatwonderfuldays](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatwonderfuldays/gifts).



> Hi everyone!  
> So I did a thing. I'm not sure how melancholic it is, it was supposed to be pure fluff. Oh well.  
> I'd love to thank Naima for her fast beta-reading, and basically the whole RH Discord family. I love you guys <3 
> 
> This is mostly written for wonderful Floof, who was complaining about the lack of fluffy stories. Hope I delivered at least a bit!

The summer that year was hot and seemingly endless, but even the longest days started to shorten, the sun slowly getting weaker, and the white puffs of steam that materialized in front of their mouths when they were running in the morning were a telltale sign of autumn coming. Sunny days were replaced by rainy ones and everything looked a bit dull. 

 

When Haru woke up in what felt like the middle of the night, it was because of the sudden, unexpected coldness seeping under his blanket. He blinked, once, twice, a bit confused, mind still clouded by sleep. He tapped the bed next to him, expecting to find the familiar body right there, but the left side of the bed was empty. Haru frowned.  _ Where is -  _

 

He shook his head, deciding against thinking into it too much, and slipped out of the bed, wrapping himself tightly into the blanket, trying to savour the last warmth it still kept. He walked quietly, peeking into their kitchen shortly only to find it empty. A quick glance towards his sanctuary, the bathroom, told him that the bath wasn’t currently occupied, and that his boyfriend hadn’t actually picked up his habits, despite the years they’d been living together. 

 

Upon finding their shared study room empty as well, both of their desks tidy as usual - except the few oil colour stains that Haru had been too slow to clean, and now they were just permanently  _ there _ , it dawned upon him where he would find the one he had found missing some minutes earlier. Haru tiptoed to the living room, suddenly feeling the need to be as quiet as possible, and peeked inside. The curtains were open, the darkness of the night magnified by the constant humming of the rain. The armchair that usually occupied the corner of the room was now in front of the window, its back turned towards the room. Haru blinked and his features softened, spotting a blanket loosely hanging off the armchair, and crossed the short distance from the door to the window. He looked into the armchair, his lips turned upwards in a fond smile, and addressed the man sitting there: “Rin?” 

 

More sensing the movement and proximity of someone else rather than hearing his own name, Rin looked up. He was wrapped in a thick grey blanket he had fallen in love in the shop when they had been moving in because of its softness, and his hair was sticking out in all directions, mused by the sleep. His ears were covered by big studio headphones, which he slowly put away when he saw Haru. Calm, quiet piano music could be heard playing, and Rin didn’t bother turning it off. His eyes softened when he looked at Haru properly, the tiniest of smiles, so different from the usual wide grin, a signature of the red-haired swimmer, appeared on his lips. “Hi,” he greeted his boyfriend. “Wanna join me?” 

 

Nodding, Haru slipped next to Rin, snuggling closer and stealing a part of the blanket to warm himself up. The flat was cold, reflecting the oncoming season, and Haru suspected the absence of Rin in their bed as what had woken him up. He basked in the comfortable peace that was their small nest, hidden from the world in the huge armchair. 

 

The silence was broken by Rin answering the question that Haru never asked. 

 

“I like these quiet moments at night when everything is asleep. The world seems to have stopped, it’s so...calm. It feels like…” Rin’s hand found Haru’s under the covers, and he took it gently, thumb rubbing patterns onto the skin. “..Like I can be at peace, too. Don’t get me wrong, I love our lives, I live for the thrill of racing, winning, training, getting better...All the places we’ve been to, all the sights we’ve seen together, all the medals won,” Rin’s eyes flicked to the wall where their trophies were, smiling fondly, “I wouldn’t change it for anything. I love living with you...I love you.” Pulling their linked hand out of the cocoon, Rin placed a light kiss at the back of Haru’s hand. “But sometimes the world around me feels like…  _ too much. _ Hard work, meeting people’s expectations, keeping positive even when hitting a wall. Somehow I’m always expected to laugh, to grin, to be loud and chatty, sociable and, um, yeah, that’s who I  _ am _ ...but sometimes I need to shut down and recharge. Not be me for a moment. Calm down. Stop the trains of thoughts. Just..” Unable to find the right words to describe exactly this feeling, Rin offered a shrug, putting an end to the stream of words. 

 

“Just stare into the rain in the middle of the night with nobody asking why,” Haru finished Rin’s sentence quietly. 

 

Looking at his boyfriend, Rin grinned, and at that moment Haru saw all the Rins looking at him through the crimson eyes. _The twelve-years-old, confident boy, talking so much Haru’s ears had been ringing, trying to persuade him to swim the relay with him. The seventeen-years-old young adult, grin adoring his face after a year of anger, sadness and feeling blue. The twenty-years-old, crying hard but smiling so much his cheeks were about to tear, medals hanging around their necks, the Japanese national team logo on the backs of their jumpers. The everyday Rin, simply being happy because of him, because of Haruka._

 

“I knew you’d understand me, Haru. You always do.” 

 

An undignified yelp cut through the darkness when Haru sat up straight and pulled Rin into flush against his chest, leaning into his hair and kissing the back of Rin’s neck softly. He hugged the powerful chest, rising and falling slowly now, and nuzzled closer to his boyfriend. “It’s just us now here, and you’re safe with me, Rin.” A slow trail of light kisses followed the path from Rin’s ear down the column of his neck. “You can be..just you. I’ll still love you..always.” 

 

Turning slightly in the hug, Rin cupped Haru’s cheek and kissed him languidly, savouring the moments of raw openness they were sharing. Their lips melted together as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Fingers combing through Haru’s hair, bending their heads a little, a quiet moan escaped Rin’s lips. Breaking the kiss, he smiled broadly at Haru and threw one arm over his shoulders. Not missing Haru’s sudden stern expression, Rin inquired curiously. “A penny for your thoughts?’

 

“Just wondering how a minute ago you were this...calm, serene man. One kiss later the grinning kid is back,” Haru mused, brows frowning. “You don’t have to…” 

 

He was hushed by another kiss, a short peck just to make him quiet. Rin’s laugh, a positive, bubbly sound broke the silence in the room, drowning the rain outside. 

 

“That’s what’s bothering you, Nanase?” Rin teased, voice lilting, and pecked Haru’s forehead, smoothing the wrinkles there. “I guess you just bring out the best of me, both on land and in the pool. That reminds me...the last race…” Smirking, Rin looked at the last set of medals on the wall, one gold and one silver.

 

“Idiot,” Haru muttered but couldn’t mask the amusement in it. “I let you win. Next time it¨ll be me who gets the gold.” 

 

“Hah, I do- hnn!” 

 

Shut up by a kiss, Rin gave up quietly and kissed Haru back, arms sneaking around his boyfriend’s neck. Before Haru pulled the blanket over their heads completely, cuddling in the armchair, from the corner of his eye Rin had caught the time displayed on a digital clock under their TV. 

 

At three twenty-seven in the morning, the world could wait for them.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated! <3  
> If you find any mistakes, please, let me know :)


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